<a href="http://artinfo.com/news/story/820703/jean-nouvel-reportedly-beats-out-hadid-and-gehry-for-chinas-new-art-museum">Several</a> news outlets are <a href="http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2012/08/120820-Nouvel-Said-to-Win-Big-Job-in-China.asp">reporting</a> that <a href="http://www.jeannouvel.com/">Jean Novel</a> has won the highly vaunted competition to design the <a href="http://www.namoc.org/en/">National Art Museum of China</a> (NAMOC), beating out a who's who list of world-renowned architects. The large building will sit near the famous <a href="https://inhabitat.com/beijing-birdsnest-new-pics-of-herzog-demeurons-stunning-stadium/">Birds Nest</a> in Beijing, and the Chinese government sought out a design to rival the iconic stadium. Nouvel bested Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and native talent <a href="https://inhabitat.com/mad-architects-unveil-urban-forest-skyscraper-for-china/">MAD Architects</a> for the honor in what was called an intense selection process. The official announcement will come in November, after the national government changes leadership.<br>

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The <a href="http://www.namoc.org/en/">National Art Museum of China</a>'s location and highly-publicized competition show that China sees the <a href="https://inhabitat.com/beijing-water-cube-reopens-as-happy-magic-water-park/">former Olympic grounds</a> as prime site to display their vision of being a power in the 21st century. The selection committee requested that architects work closely with native artists in creating their proposals - another lesson learned from the Birds Nest, which was created in collaboration with the extraordinary and outspoken artist <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/ai-weiwei/">Ai WeiWei</a>. We will have to wait and see Nouvel’s proposal, as his was the only firm to not submit a public proposal.

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

Other proposals included a settled parametric mass from Zaha Hadid.

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

An elevated inflated form from MAD Architects

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

UN Studios designed two round midrises, not dissimilar to Hadid’s taffy wrapped cylinders.

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

OMA had more of a boxy form wrapped in a fabric-like skin.

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

Frank Ghery’s proposal surprisingly also was boxy, but featured a familiar shimmering wavy skin -- this time imprinted with graphics.
The historic sustainability quotient behind many of these firms' work is questionable. Nouvel has done some of the most aesthetically pleasing work in the world today, and he often manages to <a href="https://inhabitat.com/jean-nouvel-mdw-architecture-design-passive-elliptical-tower-in-belgium/">weave low-impact building strategies</a> into his <a href="https://inhabitat.com/jean-nouvels-stunning-museum-facade-dilates-to-let-in-daylight/">aesthetically novel designs</a>. We will have to see if he manages to strike the balance again on such a huge stage.

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Jean Novel wins NAMOC

Several news outlets are reporting that Jean Novel has won the highly vaunted competition to design the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), beating out a who's who list of world-renowned architects. The large building will sit near the famous Birds Nest in Beijing, and the Chinese government sought out a design to rival the iconic stadium. Nouvel bested Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and native talent MAD Architects for the honor in what was called an intense selection process. The official announcement will come in November, after the national government changes leadership.